Hattha Kaksekar Ltd (HKL)

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The target markets are the micro-entrepreneurs in semi-rural and urban areas. More than half of its clients are women entrepreneurs. In Khmer, "Hattha Kaksekar" means "Farmer's Hand" or "A Helping Hand for Farmers".

Founded in 1994 as an Oxfam food project, HKL later became a formally registered NGO in 1996. In 2001 HKL was granted a three-year license by the National Bank of Cambodia to operate microfinance services across Cambodia. In 2007 HKL was offered an permanent MFI license by the National Bank of Cambodia. In 2010, HKL was the second MFI to be granted an MDI license (microfinance deposit taking institution), which allows the company to accept savings and other time deposits. The company´s strategy is to transform itself into a commercial bank in the future.

Norfund has invested both loans and equity in the company since 2008 and has an ownership share of 20 per cent.

In January 2016 Norfund signed an agreement together with other shareholders to sell all shares of Cambodia’s fourth-largest microfinance institution, Hattha Kaksekar Limited (HKL), to the top tier bank in Thailand with a clear leadership position in consumer banking Bank of Ayudhya.